Bust support



V. F. KEM P Jan. 11, 1938.

BUST SUPPORT Filed Aug. 19, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet l Jail. 11, 1938. v F, KEMP 2,104,867

BUST SUPPORT Filed Aug. 19, 1 935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 3y Z. W

BUST SUPPORT Filed Aug. 19, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Jan. 11, 1938 PATENT OFFICE BUST SUPPORT Vivian Fitch Kemp, London, England Application August 19,

1935, Serial No. 36,909

In Great Britain August 30, 1934 4 Claims.

This invention relates to bust supports and has for its object improvements by means of which greater elasticity is provided to enable the wearers thorax to expand freely during respiration, a closer contact between the wearers breasts is obtained and an adequate yielding support afforded.

The present invention comprises two breast pockets that are attached to each other at a point above the line of maximum chest expansion (hereinafter designated the bust measurement) in order that they may pivot on that point, and are provided at their outer extremities with an attachment band or bands that pass around and may be fastened together at the back of the wearer. These attachment bands may be composed of nn-elastic material or they may be whollyor partly elastic. The inner extremity of each of these breast pockets is yieldingly attached to the other, and for that purpose may be provided below the said line of maximum' bust measurement, where one may cross the other, with a coupling band or equivalent part preferably composed of elastic material that extends to a point below. that line on the other breast pocket in a position that may be adjustable.

Straps extend from the uppermost part of each breast. pocket across the adjacent shoulder and are secured at'their outerends to the bust support at or near the outer extremities of each breast pocket. With the hereinbefore-described arrangement, the inner extremities of the breast pockets are free to move apart when the wearer inhales, against the resistance of the elastic coupling which can be adjusted to suit the lungs of the wearer. In some cases the breast pockets are maintained at the desired height by one or more parts that extend downwardly over the wearer's diaphragm and may be yieldingly attached to a lower garment.

The outer extremity of each breast pocket may be provided with an attachment band that may be passed through a ring at the back and afterwards returned to the front and there attached to the inner extremity of the other breast pocket. Or an attachment band may extend around the wearers back from the outer extremity of one breast pocket to the outer extremity of the other breast pocket.

According to one mode of carrying out the present invention, the adjacent sides of the breast pockets beneath the point at which they are attached to each other, are V-shaped and extend laterally one beneath the other. A coupling band is attached at one end to each of these V-shaped parts and is provided at its other extremity with means for connecting it to the other breast pocket or to the attachment band thereof or to one end of an additional elastic band that passes around the back of the wearer. To enable the underneath coupling band to be attached to the upper breast pocket, the latter may be provided with a slot for it to pass through. Alternatively, the extremities of the V-shaped overlapping portions of the breast pockets may be composed of elastic material and be attached at their extremities to the other breast pocket by means of a button or the like, in which case the coupling bands may be dispensed with. To enable the tension of the coupling bands to be adjusted they may be provided with two or more button-holes.

According to an alternative construction, the inner extremities of the breast pockets, beneath the point at which they are pivotally attached to each other, are each provided with two V- shaped parts one of which extends laterally and the other downwardly. Coupling bands, which are preferably elastic, are respectively attached at one end to each of the laterally-extending V-shaped parts and at the other end to the other breast pocket or some suitable part attached thereto. The ends of the downwardly-extending flaps, which are preferably in the form of an inverted triangle, are connected to a lower garment, such as a corset or suspender belt, by a strap provided with one or more button-holes or other means of attachment. These flaps While maintaining .the breast pockets at the desired height also support the diaphragm, and the ma terial of which they are made or the mode in which they are attached, causes a suitable pressure to be applied to it. When the wearer bends forwardly, the tension between the lateral corners of the flaps is increased and provides an increased supporting pressure on the diaphragm, which opposes the natural tendency to bulge in such a posture.

In some cases the extremities of the laterallyextending V-shaped parts and the downwardlyextending flaps are composed of an elastic fabric.

According to a modification, each coupling band may be passed through a ring on the other breast pocket and be afterwards fastened either together or to a button on the pocket to which its other end is secured. Or a single band may be secured to the inner extremity of the under breast pocket and, after passing through a slot and a ring on the upper breast pocket, be passed through a ring on the breast pocket to which afterwards brought to the front by passing underthe same shoulder and finally fastened to the inner extremity of the other breast pocket.

When triangular breast pockets are employed, they are pivotally connected together at a single point above the point of maximum bust measurement and provided with means of attachment of the kind hereinbefore described or of any other suitable known kind.

In any of the foregoing constructions the parts 7 of the breast pockets at the back or sides of the wearer may be attached to a lower garment such as a corset. In some cases the parts of both breast pockets at the back or sides of the wearer may be permanently attached to the lower garment which may be adapted to undo at the side, in which case the breast pocket above it will also be adapted to undo and be there provided with fastening means.

It will also be understood that any of the hereinbefore described bust supports, whether attached to a lower garment or not, may be adapted to undo at the side where suitable means of fastening are provided.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood it is illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 represents a bust support embodying the present improvements, laid out flat;

Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively front views in perspective illustrating other modes of carrying the invention into practice; Figs. 4 to 9 illustrate modified details, hereinafter described;

Fig. 10 is a rear view in perspective showing the improved bust support attached to a lower garment;

Figs. 11 and 12 are respectively a rear and a side elevation of a corselette constructed according to the present invention; and

' Fig; 13 is a front view in perspective of another form of corselette.

The breast pockets a, 17 shown in the various figures, are connected together at a'single point 0 above the line of maximum bust measurement and the inner lower extremities d e of each is yieldingly attached to the other breast pocket by coupling bands 7 or equivalent means.

In Figs. 1, 2, 3, 11, 12 and 13 the inner extremities cl e are V-shaped and overlap; and shoulder straps g extend from the uppermost part of each breast pocket to its outer extremity h. Thebust support illustrated by Fig. 1 is provided with a band i that is attached to the outer extremity h of the breast pocket at and is adapted 'to pass around the back of the wearer to the outer extremity h of the breast pocket b to which it can be attached by hooks and eyes or equivalent means. The inner extremity of each of the breast pockets illustrated by Fig. l is provided with an elastic coupling band f whose outer end is in each caseattached to a tab it on the other breast pocket. In this way the lower edge of the bust support can extend when the wearers chest ex both breast pockets, which are detachably connected in front by a button or like fastening device at the pivotal point 0, and an elastic coupling band f attached to the inner extremity of each pocket. The coupling band attached to the under breast pocket passes through a slot o in the upper one b to which its outer end is fastened by means of a button p. or the like, while the outer end of the coupling band attached to the upper pocket is similarly fastened to the under one as shown.

In Figs. 8, 9 and 10, the inner V-shaped extremities d, e are each provided with a down wardly-extending V-shaped part q having a button-hole r by means of which it may be attached to a lower garment s in order to maintain the breast pockets a, b in the proper position. In Fig. 9 the extremities of the overlapping V-shaped parts and the downwardly-extending part q are composed of elastic material. In some cases a short strap (not shown) having two or more button-holes may be secured to the apex of the V-shaped part q to enable its position to be adjusted.

In Fig. 7 the V-shapecl inner extremities d, e are dispensed with and the lower edges of the breast pockets a, b are coupledtogether by an elastic band 15 attached to one of them and provided with a button-hole to be engaged by a buttonon the other.

The lower edges of the inner portions of the breast pockets 0., b shown in Fig. 4 are slightly cut away to form steps (1*, 12 to which the coupling bands 1 are attached, in order that any tension tending to separate the breast pockets may be in a straight line with their lower edges. This construction obviates the necessity for providing a slot for the band ,2 that couples the under extremity d to the upper pocket b, to pass through.

Fig. 6 the lower inner extremities of the breast pockets are yieldingly coupled together by a band 11; attached to the under extremity d. This band is passed through a slot o in the upper breast pocket I) and thence through the ring .r,

on the same pocket after which it is led back to the ring y on the pocket to which the band is attached whereafter the said band is fastened to a button on the upper extremity e of the pocket b as shown.

The outer extremities h of the breast pockets of the bust support illustrated by Fig. 11, are attached to a lower garment s such as a corset at or near the back and the downwardly-extending parts q at the front of the breast pockets a; b are attached to the front of the lower garment by a button or an equivalent fastening device.

Figs. 11 and 12 illustrate a corselette provided present invention. In this case the outer lateral extremities h of the breast pockets a b and the ends of the shoulder straps g are permanently attached to the back of the lower part 3 which is adapted to undo and fasten at the side. In this case the breast pocket a is also provided with fastening devices 2 above those in the lower part to enable the wearer to put it on and take it off.

Fig. 13 illustrates another form of corselette in which the downwardly-extending flaps q of the breast pockets a, b extend laterally to the back and are secured to the upper edge of the lower part s by stitching 3 or other suitable means.

I claim:

1. A bust support comprising two separate breast pockets; a single pivotal connection between said pockets situated above the line corresponding with the maximum chest expansion; a resilient coupling between said pockets situated below said line so that said pockets can move relatively about said pivotal connection to permit the girth measurement below the pivotal point to vary; shoulder straps respectively secured at one end to the upper edges of said breast pockets and at the other end to the back of said bust support and means for securing said bust support on the wearer.

2. A bust support comprising two separate overlapping breast pockets; a single pivotal connection between said pockets situated above the line corresponding with the maximum chest expansion; a resilient coupling between said pockets situated below said line so that said pockets can move relatively about said pivotal connection to permit the girth measurement below the pivotal point to vary; shoulder straps respectively secured at one end to the upper edges of said breast pockets and at the other end to the back of said bust support and means for securing said bust support on the wearer.

3. Abust support comprising two separate overlapping breast pockets; a single pivotal connection between said pockets situated above the line corresponding with the maximum chest expansion; resiliently-extensible portions to said breast pockets where they overlap below said pivotal connection; means for connecting the resilientlyextensible portion of each pocket to a point adjacent the lower edge of the other pocket so that said pockets can move relatively about said pivotal connection to permit the girth measurement below the pivotal point to vary; shoulder straps respectively secured at one end to the upper edges of said breast pockets and at their other end to the back of said bust support and means for securing said bust support on the wearer.

4. A bust support comprising two separate overlapping breast pockets; a single pivotal connection between said pockets situated above the line corresponding with the'maximum chest expansion; a ring; elastic coupling bands respectively secured at one end to the outer extremity of the base of each breast pocket and which after passing through said ring return to the front and are secured at the other end to the inner extremity of the base of the other breast pocket so that said pockets can move relatively about said pivotal Q connection to permit the girth measurement below the pivotal point to vary, and shoulder straps respectively secured at one end to the upper edges of said pockets and at the other end to the back of said bust support.

VIVIAN FITCH KEMP. 

